Ryan Smith rolled up a game-high 23 points, and Pitt-Johnstown constructed a sizable first half cushion that never faded away en route to a 79-74 victory over IUP on Wednesday night at the Sports Center.

The Mountain Cats jumped ahead of the Hawks in the PSAC West standings and improved to 11-12 (7-9 PSAC).

Pitt-Johnstown's lone senior guard was 10-for-15 from the field while playing a game-high 37 minutes. Sophomore Baden Forup earned his fourth double-double of the season with 17 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

Adam Bilinsky matched his season-high of 16 points by going 5-for-5 from the floor and 4-of-6 from the free-throw line. He also contributed six assists and three rebounds. Jay Rose chipped in nine points.

While IUP breached the scoreboard first, it didn't take long for Pitt-Johnstown to open up the floodgates. The Mountain Cats trailed for a total of 20 seconds before Smith drilled a 3-pointer in the opening minute that gave them the lead for good.

It sparked a 19-2 rally that put the Mountain Cats up by 15 less than five minutes into the game. That lead eventually ballooned to 32-15 when Vinnie Cugini connected on a jumper with about nine minutes left in the half.

When IUP eventually whittled that lead to two following an 18-3 run, Pitt-Johnstown had the answer. A layup courtesy of Smith ignited an 11-1 flurry that afforded the Mountain Cats a hard-earned 46-34 lead heading into the locker room.

The Mountain Cats never let off the gas pedal in the second half. They led by as many as 19 points following an emphatic three-point play courtesy of Forup that made it 66-47 with less than 12 minutes to go.

Pitt-Johnstown's suffocating defense, which held the Hawks to a 42.4% clip from the field, made sure IUP never threatened the rest of the way. The Mountain Cats, meanwhile, were a blazing 58.2% from the floor, while also going 6-of-15 from beyond the arc and 9-of-14 from the free-throw line.

They also narrowly held a 34-31 rebounding advantage and a 38-34 edge in the paint.

Christian Moore tallied a team-high 17 points for the Hawks, who dropped to 11-13 (6-9 PSAC).

Pitt-Johnstown will host Slippery Rock on Saturday at 3 p.m. in the second game of a doubleheader with the women's team as part of the Winterfest Weekend celebration.